Well, just as I promised the competition is now open! (okay, so I'm posting this a few hours early... but I won't tell, if you don't!)

To celebrate the 20thDecember
release of my medieval Christmas novella, Misrule’s Mistress, I have put
together a competition. The competition will run from the 24th
December to the 5th of January 2013. As some of you may know, I do
have a fondness for jewellery... so I thought I would spread the love around.
I’m giving away a string of white freshwater pearls. The individual pearls
range from about 8mm – 9mm, the string is 18” long with a gold plated clasp.
The pearls are individually knotted and strung on silk. Added to that, there is
also an advanced reader’s copy of Misrule’s Mistress.

As my story
is set over the twelve days of Christmas, I decided that’s when I’m running the
competition.

So itstarts on Christmas Eve and finishes on the
5th January 2013 (midnight)

To be in the
running you must leave...

·Your name

·Your email address

·And the answer
to this question – “What is the name of Ellette’s horse?” (check out the extract below)

The Comment button is located at the very end of this post.

All valid entries will be placed into my top hat (circa 1880’s and
according to the label – Johnson & Co Hatters to the Queen & HRH the
Prince of Wales. 113 Regent Street, London) and a random winner will be drawn. The draw will be held on the 7thJanuary
2013 (Australian Eastern Standard Time).

Top Hat modelled here by Alannah –

The contest
is open worldwide, but please only one entry per person – thanks J

Misrule’s
Mistress, along with my other stories are available from Pink Petal Books

You can also
find them on Amazon, Barnes& Noble, Coffee Time Romance, Diesel eBooks,
Smashwords, Book Strand & All Romance Books. And in another week or so,
Misrule will be uploaded to all of the above sites as well.

So I hope
you will all enjoy a little medieval Christmas cheer and good luck!

A familiar flare of
excitement shot through Ellette’s body as Cranley Castle came into view. It was
a sight that she never tired of, Cranley was not the largest castle in the land
but in her opinion it was the prettiest. Two elegant towers rose towards the
heavens and the grey stone walls looked almost silver in the pale sun. Above
the towers flew the Cranley pennant, a hawk flying between the twin towers in a
blue shield on a white background.There
was a thin veil of snow covering the ground, which made Cranley look as if it
was from an enchanted dream rather than the home of Barric Cranley. They had
known each other for longer than she could remember – he was her friend, the
constant in her life, but above all he was her fiercest competitor.

“No doubt you and Barric will spend the winter festival
trying to best each other,” he said with a laugh.

“Aye, no doubt,” Ellette said with a smile and her grey
eyes sparkled with amusement. “And I intend to win.”

“You always do, although I believe Barric will have
something to say about that. I suspect that he will challenge you to a hunt
once again.”

“I believe that is his plan, ‘twas merely luck that saw
him win last time.”

“You can challenge him soon enough. Come, our host will
be expecting us.”

“Very well Father, but I wager that I can ride into the
courtyard before you!”

Ellette laughed as she
spurred her horse on. “Make haste, Elflin,” she cooed into the ear of her
dapple grey mare. “Make haste, Barric awaits us.”She felt Elflin’s pace increase to a gallop
and heard the horse’s hooves beat out a rhythm on the snow scattered road. The
icy wind blew in her face and tugged at the fur hood of her green woollen
cloak. She was filled with happiness; a mixture of the exhilaration of the
ride, the sense of freedom it gave her and the prospect of seeing Barric again.
Elflin clattered over the wooden drawbridge and into the outer bailey of
Cranley Castle.

She’s
refused him once but with a golden ring, a Christmas feast and a little
cunning, Lord Barric Cranley intends to catch his bride.

Here's a snippet.

“If I were sure that you loved me, if you would accept my offer, I would
wait if I knew how long.”Barric slowly closed his fingers over the ring and let
his hand fall down by his side.

“I cannot tell you, for I do not know – a year, two... or three.”

“But after all these long years, would you then marry me?”

“I do not know, Barric; I do not know what to say. I am confused and do
not know what I want or feel,” she said as went to walk away but Barric caught
her arm and she turned her head and looked at him.

“You kissed me back, Ellette.”

“I know, I know I did... but...”

“Then without an answer I cannot wait for you, Ellette, no matter how
much I want to,” Barric said as his hand slid down her cheek. “If I cannot have
you, it matters little who I take for a wife. And because of that, I vow I will
be married by the Feast of Epiphany.”

Arching a brow, Ellette replied, “Are brides so easily found?”

“I want you, Ellette, but if you do not wish me for a husband and cast
me aside, I will be forced to find a bride elsewhere.”

“By the end of our winter festivities?”

“Aye,” Barric said.

“I fear you have taken our games and challenges too far. For whom will
you marry... the kitchen maid, or the weaver’s daughter? I am the only eligible
maid at Cranley, and I say nay.”

“Mayhap, but I will be married by midnight at the feast.”

“In twelve days?” Torn and confused, Ellette stared at Barric. Part of
her wanted to cry that perhaps she had been too hasty, perhaps one day, far
away, she would marry him. Mixed with that, she was annoyed and hurt that he
would think she was so easily replaced; and lastly, a hint of competitiveness
reared its head. She almost wanted to take his challenge and wager that it
would be impossible to marry in twelve days.

“Aye – I swear it,” Barric said as he turned and returned to the feast,
leaving Ellette alone with her riotous thoughts.

Thursday, 13 December 2012

Thanks
for joining the Holiday Gifts of Love Blog Hop. Hope you are having fun
discovering new stories and new authors.

So
when I think of Christmas, why is it that my mind wanders off to a picture
perfect Dickensian scene full of carriages, snow and carollers? Maybe I read
The Christmas Carol once too often as a child. It’s kind of silly when the
majority of my Christmases have been far from white. Christmas in Australia is
generally hot (and you can take that anyway you like!). No seriously, the
mercury climbs and more often than not we swelter in 45 degree heat (that’s
Celsius which I think equates to about 113 degrees Fahrenheit).

Christmas
dinner can mean anything from a picnic at the beach, firing up the barbie in the
back yard and cold buffets. Some brave a hot Christmas dinner, although I can
only imagine that they have fantastic air conditioning. It’s filled with ice, water
fights, Pavlovas and ice cream Christmas pudding. The sun beats down and you
can smell the dry grass as the heat rises.

Wherever
you are, I hope that you are happy and safe over this holiday period.

I’m
giving away a pdf copy of Capturing Bliss. Please leave your name and email
address to be in the draw. All valid entries will be placed into my top hat (circa 1880’s and according to the label – Johnson & Co Hatters to the Queen & HRH the Prince of Wales. 113 Regent Street, London) and a random winner will be drawn. Top hat modelled by Alannah -

Of course by doing this you are also entered into
the Holidays Gifts of Love major draw. Check out these amazing prizes! The
competition is open to everyone but the 3rd prize is only available
to U.S. residents (the postage is too high to send overseas).

In 12th-century England, love isn't part of the marriage equation.
But Lady Blissot de Woodville adores her younger sister too much to see her
suffer such a fate. Instead, Bliss recklessly switches places with her
sister—and marries a total stranger under false pretenses! Fortunately, she
soon discovers she shares a rare passion and genuine love with her new husband,
the ardent Lord William Reynard. Yet the happier Bliss becomes, the more her
secret weighs heavily on her heart...because one desperate lie could destroy
everything she's come to cherish.

My
new Christmas novella, Misrule’s Mistress will be released on the 20th
December by Pink Petal Books. I hope you will check it out. It is a medieval
tale which is set during the Twelve Days of Christmas.

Tuesday, 11 December 2012

Hi everyone, I just received the cover for Misrule's Mistress and I think it's absolutely beautiful! Misrule's Mistress is due for release from Pink Petal Books on the 20th December - just in time for Christmas. The cover was conjured by Tibbs Design.

Wednesday, 5 December 2012

Please click date button to view entire post.
Hi everyone,
This is the final part on medieval marriage. As I said at the start, it is a broad subject and we have only touched the surface.

The questions of consanguinity and consent created conflict between the Church and the other orders of society. As I mentioned in an earlier part of these posts, the Church banned incest. This meant marriage between cousins up to the sixth extent, but they also believed that people formed a kinship tie to anyone they had a sexual relationship with. This kinship tie then encompassed the former lover's family as well. A hypothetical example of this would be, if two brothers from one family wished to marry two sister from another, only one couple could marry. By the first couple's marriage the remaining unwed pair would be considered brother and sister, and therefore if they wed it would have been considered incest.

Both the nobility and the peasants wished to reject these laws. In the case of the nobility, many of their arranged marriages were based on increasing their property and wealth, and in some cases to form alliances. The laws of consanguinity thwarted their plans.

For peasant families, these laws totally restricted their options in marriage. If we consider a small village, a person was quite possibly already linked by marriage or kinship to over half of its population.

For sections of the nobility it was possible to appeal to the Church and the Pope. They could buy a dispensation which would allow them to marry their chosen partner, even if they fell into the category of incest. This, however was not an option for the poor.

Consent was another area which caused friction between the Church and its people. The Church stated that consent was the most important aspect of marriage, as it was a vow between two people and God. Whereas families (both peasantry & nobility) believed that this would lead to the young refusing to carry out family wishes and a rise in clandestine marriages. In response, the Fourth Lateran Council in 1215 ordered that marriage banns should be called in the churches of the bride and groom prior to the wedding.

From the 12th century on, Church enforced priestly celibacy. Priests were not to be married or enter into any sexual relation, instead they were to spend their lives in contemplation of the spirit and not their flesh. This was an attempt to set the clergy apart from the other members of society. However, priestly concubinage remained common. Chidren of priests were considered bastards and could not inherit any property and the priest's mistress had no social standing.

In conclusion, both nobles and peasants followed the teachings and laws of the Holy Roman Church in belief but in daily practice deviated from it. In other words the ideals of the Church on virginity, chastity and consanguinity were at times just too hard to live up to.

So ends the third and final part on medieval marriage. I hope that you found it interesting.

Nicólexx

www.nicolehurley-moore.comsourcesReligion in the Medieval West by Bernard HamiltonThe Ties that Bound by Barbara HanawaltReligion and the Decline of Magic by Keith Thomas.Image from the Public Domain.

Saturday, 1 December 2012

To celebrate the 20th
December release of my medieval Christmas novella, Misrule’s Mistress, I have
put together a competition. The competition will run from the 24th December
to the 5th of January 2013. As some of you may know, I do have a
fondness for jewellery... so I thought I would spread the love around. I’m giving
away a string of white freshwater pearls. The individual pearls range from
about 8mm – 9mm, the string is 18” long with a gold plated clasp. The pearls
are individually knotted and strung on silk. Added to that, there is also an
advanced reader’s copy of Misrule’s Mistress.

As my story is set over
the twelve days of Christmas, I decided that’s when I’m running the competition.
So
itstarts
on Christmas Eve and finishes on the 5th January 2013.

To be in the running
I need...

·Your name

·Your
email address

·And the
answer to this question – “What is the name of Ellette’s horse?”

All
valid entries will be placed into my top hat (circa 1880’s and according to the
label – Johnson & Co Hatters to the Queen & HRH the Prince of Wales.
113 Regent Street, London) and a random winner will be drawn. The draw will be held on the 7th
January 2013 (Australian Eastern Standard Time).

Top Hat modelled here by Alannah -

She’s refused him once but with a
golden ring, a Christmas feast and a little cunning, Lord Barric Cranley
intends to catch his bride.

I’ll post an extract
on Christmas Eve on my blog, but for those who can’t wait, Misrule’s Mistress
will be available as an eBook from Pink Petal Books from the 20th
December *wink*

Tuesday, 27 November 2012

Hi everyone,
So here is the second post on medieval marriage. This time we are looking at the peasant's perspective and how the views of the Church and that of the nobility effected them.

In addition to the Church teachings, the wishes of the feudal lords were also influential and must be acknowledged as a power over peasant marriages. The feudal lord had a vested interest when it came to whom a peasant wanted to marry. If a peasant woman married a free man , the lord would not only lose a worker but also a producer of serf children.

Another aspect that effected peasant marriages was the seasons. Generally speaking, marriages did not take place during the harvest or winter. So peasant marriage could be seen as being tied to the rhythm of the seasons.

The Church saw virginity as a highly desired state before marriage, however the issue of premartial sex and illegitimate birth was more accepted in daily village life. Premartial pregnancy was seen as a prelude to marriage, as children were so important to the economy that some couples wanted to be sure of fertility. Infants and small children could be seen as a drain on the peasant household or domus, but once they matured, the offspring could work and bring prosperity to the home through marriage. Another factor was that adult children could care for their ageing parents.

Lords turned the situation of premartial sex and birth to their advantage by fining women a Legerwrite / Lechewytt charge (premartial sex) and a Childwrite charge (children out of wedlock). An example of this can be found on January 1316 in Wakefield, where the young women were rounded up and fined for being deflowered or being married without a license. One case recorded is that of Juliana, daughter of John Sibbeson; who was deflowered before she was married and had not yet paid her lechewytt or merchet (similar to a modern day marriage license).

The medieval marriage service itself, was an adaptation of the ancient Roman civil rite of marriage. The ceremony generally took place on the Church steps or porch, which suggested that it was not in origin a church service and the role of officiating priest was simply that of chief witness. The medieval service did not differ very much from what is used today.

"I... take thee... to be my wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, till death us do part, if holy Church will ordain, and thereto I plight thee my troth."

After the bride had plighted her troth in simliar words, the groom placed gold, silver and a ring on a plate. This was blessed by the priest and then the groom continued...

"With this ring I thee wed, and this gold and silver I thee give; and with my body I thee worship and with all my wordly chattels I thee endow. In the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen."

To truly solemnise the proceedings a mass could then be held within the church.

So, ends part 2 of the medieval view of marriage. Hope you found it interesting.

Sunday, 25 November 2012

Hi everyone, Just thought I would let you know that my website has been revamped.Hope you will nick on over and check it out. www.nicolehurley-moore.comThe newsletter isn't up & running yet. We are still tinkering with it... sorry. I really like the image of the snowy forest emerging from the book... very fairytale! Cheers,

Wednesday, 21 November 2012

As some of you may know, I
have a thing for the medieval period. I love it all, including the dark and
twisty bits. I thought that I may intersperse my blog with a series of posts on
aspects of the Middle Ages. So, we are jumping off with the medieval view of
marriage. It’s a broad subject and we are just touching the surface. Generally
we are looking at England and France during the 12th and 13th
centuries.

Medieval society was
divided into three distinct groups (known as estates).

1.Those
who prayed. (Church)

2.Those
who fought.(Nobility)

3.And
everybody else. (Peasants)

And all three had
very different ideas about marriage.

Okay,
so according to the medieval Church, sex was a sin... even when it was
accompanied with marriage, they weren’t that hot on it. The use of this
Biblical quote was bandied about –

“A man is better off having no relations with
a woman. But to avoid immorality, every man should have his own wife and every
woman her own husband.” 1 Corinthians 7:12

So
the medieval Church’s view was marriage was permitted for the sole purpose of
begetting children. In fact, sex for pleasure even among married couples was
regarded as a mortal sin. A marriage would only be seen as valid if it met the
Church’s requirements.

1.Consent –
both parties must willingly give their consent to the marriage before
witnesses.

2.Both
were Christian.

3.Both
were free of prior contracts of marriage or pre-nuptial agreements.

4.No
Consanguinity – no incest. The Church ruled that this included cousins up to
the 6th extent and anyone who was a former lover and their kin.

5.The
church service – which was generally held on the church steps or porch, meant
the marriage was sanctified.

6.Consummation
of the marriage.

The
Church felt the need to control sex and the relationship between husbands and
wives. It prohibited marriage (and sex) during the holy days of the year.
Marriages were banned during Lent, Rogationtide, Advent, saint days, Sundays, Wednesdays
and Fridays. The Clergy had encouraged the idea that saint’s days had a
supernatural aura and emphasised that a sin committed on a holy day was worse than
one committed at any other time. For example, Friday, as it was the day of
crucifixion, was thought to be unlucky for any new venture, especially for
marriage and journeys. Now, if you add up all the days that you weren't allowed to marry or have sex... I think you are looking at over five months.

The
Church believed that consent was the most important aspect of marriage.
Families arranged marriages during this period, in fact it was only the very
poor who had the luxury of marrying for love. Many of the betrothals were
contracted when the couple were as young as six or seven, in some cases even
from the cradle. This was to align families and to join wealth and property.
However, the Church condemned this practise and insisted that the couple could
only be betrothed when they were old enough to understand the proceedings and
willingly give their consent.

Saturday, 17 November 2012

Hi everyone, I made a cover for a short story I wrote a little while ago. I'm thinking about starting a newsletter, and I wanted to offer 'More Costly Than Diamonds' for free for those who signed up. Anyway, I'm not quite there yet... still trying to work it all out. Hmmmmm... I think I may get my darling husband on this. I'll keep you all up to date and announce when the newsletter is up and running. But until then, I thought I would share the cover I made. I'm quite proud of my effort as it is my first attempt.Nicole xx

A Crusader has been
separated from his bride by duty, war and five long years. He is scarred,
damaged and wonders what awaits him at Durand Manor. Has he lost everything? Or
will he still possess the one thing he cherishes above all else... his wife.

Friday, 16 November 2012

Please click on date button to view entire post
Hi everyone,
Please make welcome the lovely Georgiana Louis. Georgiana is an Australian author, who is also a qualified chiropractor and a mum. She has several works in the pipeline but her debut book, 'Nanny in Paradise' is soon to be released by Red Rose Publishing.

Hi Georgiana and thanks for dropping by for a chat!

What
type of romance do you write?

Generally Historical
Romance set in the Regency period- London. However Nanny in Paradise is a
contemporary romance.

How
did you come up with the idea for your story?

Well,
I love Greek men and I always wanted to be a nanny, so I just started and the
story came out by itself.

With
The Spares series, I was at our beach house and I was reading Julia Quinn’s
books. It was thinking about the ‘heir and a spare’ idea. Then I thought it
would be interesting to have a series where the spare sons of rich titled
families all end up inheriting through different reasons- but they all don’t
wish to. And the idea stuck and got developed.

How do
you develop your plot and characters?

I have a general idea about the plot and then as I’m writing it I
see where the story takes me. Same with the characters. When I’m really in the
writing zone I feel as though the story is happening in my head and I just
record what happens. I don’t feel as though I have a whole lot of control over
what happens.

Are
you working on anything at the present?

I’m
always editing, but at the moment I am writing the fourth book in my Regency
series ‘The Spares.’ It’s called the Rakehell Duke.

How do you come up with the titles to your books?

I like a title to be catchy but also to describe the story well.
Nanny wanted is about a millionaire who needs a nanny to help him raise his 2
year old niece- so that’s self explanatory.

Each of the Spares titles are a description of the hero- and also
start with R- just because that’s what the first one started with and i55cxgcx5
wanted a common thread to run through them. Their titles are- The Reluctant
Duke, The Ruined Marquis, The Recalcitrant Earl and The Rakehell Duke.

What
made you want to be a writer?

I ran out of books
one day and decided the story in my head deserved a piece of paper- I never
really decided to be a writer.

What
inspires your writing?

I don’t really know.
I started writing because I had a whole story buzzing around my head and I had
to get it out. It’s still the case. I can only make myself write when I am in
the ‘mood’ to. Sometimes I read, sometimes I edit, other days I need to write.
But I only want to do one thing at a time.

What
books or authors have most influenced your own writing?

Sabrina
Jeffries, Julia Quinn and Eloisa James. I’ve also recently made friends with a
US writer, Kissa Starling. She writes erotica which is quite different to my
style and yet I have really enjoyed sharing my stories with her and getting her
feedback. I think she’s rubbing off on me a little bit ;-)

What's your favourite
book?

Ohh, impossible. Favourite as in, read
the most amount of times? Outlander by Diana Gabaldon, How beauty tamed the
beast by Eloisa James and The truth about Lord Stoneville by Sabrina Jeffries-
I love a tortured hero.

Dreams
and aspirations... what’s the one thing you want to do, see or experience above
all else?

I want to see my
young daughters grow into beautiful, confident and good people. Everything else
can wait.

And now for the really tough questions...

What
is your favourite food?

Chocolate and home
made lemon meringue pie.

What
is a talent you wish you had, but don't?

Singing in tune.

If you could go anywhere in the world where would it be?

New
York City- I want to see what all the fuss is about. Georgiana, thanks so much for stopping by.I wish you well with your writing and look forward to reading your books.Don't forget, Georgiana's 'Nanny in Paradise' is being released this Christmas by Red Rose Publishing. Nicole xx

Nanny in Paradise is a story about
Alexander Grigorakis. A greek millionaire who needs the assistance of a nanny
to help him raise his two year old niece. Cara Quincy, an Australian nanny,
ticks every box. She also ticks every box for Alex, except for the fact that
she is his employee. Class rules dictate that Alex leave Cara alone, but her
beguiling smile and innocence make that impossible.

Excerpt

Alex
smiled.He knew Olivia wanted him.She had made it obvious over the years.However tempting it was on occasion, Alex had
never indulged. He knew her parents well
and had never wanted to mix the two.

“Christos,
so good to see you,” Alex greeted his closest friend with a hug.

“How’s
life?”

“Amazing
as always,” Christos grinned.

Christos was a known ladies man, he had
perfect taste in women, clothes and the stock market- some of the main reasons
Alex liked him.

“Cara,”
Alex breathed, turning to watch the object of his dreams walk through the door,
Amelia in her arms.

Cara
smiled at Alex, looking directly up into his black eyes.

“I’m
sorry to interrupt you Mr. Grigorakis, but Amelia has come to say good night to
you.”

She
hoisted Amelia up on her hip and gave her an encouraging smile.

“You
can do it,” Cara whispered into her ear.

Amelia
had been practicing her Greek for weeks.Alex’s friends were all staring at her now and Cara felt her face blush
red at their obvious attention.

“Gala Nicta Thio,” Amelia said quietly,
her eyes downcast as she nervously recited the Greek she had been taught.

Alex
looked taken aback but quickly recovered himself. He smiled at Cara.

“Well
done Amelia,” Alex praised his niece, a few ooh’s and aah’s coming from his
female guests.Amelia lifted her head to
see Alex’s smile, then noticed everyone looking at her and cuddled closer into
Cara’s chest.Amelia whispered into
Cara’s ear and Alex saw Cara’s eyes grow worried.

She
smiled gently. “Of course you can.”

“Sa ga po,” Amelia said quietly, telling
Alex she loved him.

Alex’s
gut wrenched. He had not expected to hear those words and he froze.

Cara’s
eyes were on him, pleading with him to return the words, when she saw Alex
freeze she jumped in.

“Your
uncle loves you too sweetie.And you
said that so perfectly, I am so proud of you.”The pointed words were mostly for Alex’s benefit, but she knew Amelia
needed to hear them as well.

Cara
kissed Amelia on the head and tucked her head into the crook of her neck. Cara
then gave Alex a stare that would have withered a twenty foot oak tree. Then
she walked away.

“Who was that amazing creature?” Christos
asked Alex in Greek, his eyes clearly enjoying the sight of Cara walking away.

“Amelia’s
nanny,” Alex told his friend slowly, still reeling from the shock of what had
just happened.

“Why
didn’t you invite her to the party?She’d probably be more fun than these stuffy bitches,” Christos sneered
quietly.“Did you see the death stare
she gave you?Are you sure she works for
you?”

Amazon Author Page

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About Me

Hi, I'm Nicole and thanks for dropping by.
I write historical, fantasy and contemporary romances.
I'm a hopeful romantic who is enchanted by love no matter the time period or the realm.
http://nicolehurley-moore.com/